John the Ripper is a free, open-source password cracking tool that can be used to detect weak passwords. It works by taking a list of potential passwords, hashing them, and then comparing the hashes to an encrypted password. If the hashes match, the password is cracked. The tool can also be used to detect weak passwords in a variety of formats and to help users create secure passwords. It is designed to be fast and flexible, and is used by security professionals and hobbyists alike. It is available for multiple operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX.
Discontinued The project is no longer being developed. The latest version, 1.31, released in 2012, can still be downloaded from SourceForge.